Five decades have passed since the introduction of the first integrated electronic tachymeter. Many innovative technologies in the construction of them have appeared since then. Compared to the early models, which only measured and stored direct measurements, tachymeters have become more sophisticated by means of incorporating internal microprocessor and software packages, reflector-less distance-measuring capabilities, robotic functions, image assistance, and other features, and have become multi-sensor systems. The modern tachymeter is a universal measuring platform that adapts, with its great flexibility, to the application in various terrestrial surveying tasks. To better understand tachymeters and their specific characteristics, capabilities, and development, it is necessary to group them by generations. The authors of this paper have recognized five tachymeter generations with the purpose of marking the main technological advances in the historical development of these instruments.Mineva petdeset let od pojava prvega integriranega elektronskega tahimetra. V polstoletnem razvoju elektronskih tahimetrov so se pojavile številne konstrukcijske izboljšave in inovativne tehnološke rešitve. Od zgodnjih modelov, ki so omogočali »le« elektronsko merjenje in shranjevanje merskih vrednosti, so tahimetri z uporabo internih mikroprocesorjev, možnostjo merjenja dolžin brez reflektorjev, robotizacijo, slikovno podporo idr. postali kompleksni multisenzorski sistemi. Sodobni tahimeter je univerzalna merska platforma, ki s svojo široko prilagodljivostjo omogoča izvedbo najrazličnejših nalog terestrične geodezije. Za boljše razumevanje posebnosti in zmogljivosti tahimetrov jih je treba sistematično razvrstiti v razvojne generacije. Avtorji članka so prepoznali pet generacij tahimetrov, na podlagi katerih so želeli opredeliti glavne tehnološke dosežke v zgodovinskem razvoju teh instrumentov.